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Tetras losing color at night???

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I have 5 black neon tetras that I like very much. However, i have been struggling lately with tank water quality.

Two mornings in a row I have woken up and turned the lights on, and the tetras looked terrible. I thought they were near death due to water quality. the black stripe was all but gone and they were sluggish hanging out the bottom. I walked by 15 min later and full color was back and they seemed fine.

Is this normal for overnights with no lights for tetra.....anyone have any thoughts on this?

Water quality issues aside....

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Originally Posted by ddavis1979

Is this normal for overnights with no lights for tetra.....anyone have any thoughts on this?

It's perfectly normal for their color to fade when 'sleeping'.

Gas mileage isn't everythingOIIIIIIIOLack of planning on your part does not constitute an emergency on my part.Why pretend there are no stupid questions? Actually, There are many stupid questions: "Should I drink this bleach?" Is just one example.
Having said that, Just because it's a stupid question doesn't mean that it shouldn't be asked. It's better to know.A warm beer is better than a cold beer. Because nothing is better than a cold beer, and a warm beer is better than nothing.

"When fish lose their color, the chromatophores, which are the cells that control pigmentation, space out pigment granules farther apart, and their colors appear more dull. Drawn closer together, the colors appear more bright.

As for why their colors dull at night---my answer is that with any cell, it will conserve energy if at all possible. In the absence of light, maintaining color is useless, so fish can control their When fish lose their color, the chromatophores, which are the cells that control pigmentation, space out pigment granules farther apart, and their colors appear more dull. Drawn closer together, the colors appear more bright.

As for why their colors dull at night---my answer is that with any cell, it will conserve energy if at all possible. In the absence of light, maintaining color is useless, so fish can control their chromatophores when there is an environmental change, and thus control their color to some degree.

The same happens when a fish is stressed out. The fish has less energy, or energy is expended elsewhere in keeping the fish alive, so color becomes secondary and dulls out. I have heard that keeping a goldfish in complete darkness will turn them white as well, although I've never tried it. when there is an environmental change, and thus control their color to some degree.

The same happens when a fish is stressed out. The fish has less energy, or energy is expended elsewhere in keeping the fish alive, so color becomes secondary and dulls out. I have heard that keeping a goldfish in complete darkness will turn them white as well, although I've never tried it."